Continuous process for making sheets of multicellular glass



May 24, 1938. l R. J. A. INGOUF 2,118,707

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR MAKING SHEETS OF MULTICELLULAR GLASS Filed March 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 24, 1938. R, 1 A- |NGOUF 2,118,707

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR MAKING SHEETS OF MULTICELLULAR GLASS Filed March 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24,1938 I r UNITED'KSTATES PATENT OFFICE CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR. MAKING ,SHEETS OF MUL'IICELLULAR GLASS Robert J. A. Ingouf, Kingsport, Tenn., assigner to Blue Ridge Glass Corporation, Kingsport, Tenn., a corporation of New AYork Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,708

l Claims. (Cl. 49-87) This invention relates to the production of sheet therethrough and a tight joint is maincellular glass sheets and consists in a process and tained at the slots by the rollers h1 bearing apparatus for the production of such sheets by on the sheet. By preference, the rollers h1 are a continuous process in which after a ribbon of mounted in arms h2 projecting from the chamglass has been formed in any approved manner it ber H to afford floating bearings for the rollers 5 is subjected, while at a proper temperature, to so that they may rise and fallwith the motion reduced air pressureto permit the formation of of the sheet. cavities therein as will be hereinafter more fully Within the chamber the sheet is supported on described and claimed. a bed having side walls. In the drawings this 'Referring to the accompanying drawings in bed takes the form of a travelling endless belt 10 which corresponding partsv are designated by M running over rollers M1 driven by a proper corresponding marks of reference, .f motor S through the transverse shaft R. The

Figure 1 is a side View partially in section belt is composed of a series of articulated links of an apparatus embodying and adapted to Icarry M2 having fiat central portions m and upstandout my invention. ing end flanges m', as shown in Figures 4 and 5. l5 Figure 2 is a sectional view, enlarged illustrat- Considering Figure 5 each side of the upper run ing the formation of the sheets'. of the endless belt travels upon or is supported Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line by longitudinal tracks P which are maintained 3--3 of Fig. 2. in proper position by the transverse shaft Q Figure 4 is an enlarged side view illustrating through the interposition of suitable collars Q'. 20 the'articulated link arrangement of the belt. In the chamber the sheet expands. After leav- Figure 5 is a detail view showing in transverse ing the apron or belt M the expanded sheet section the mounting and support of the belt'. passes between rollers N by which it is reduced I provide. suitable means for rcontinuously to a desired thickness and its' surface finished. forming a sheet of glass. In the drawings this The sheet then passes through a lehr O, which takes the form of a pass between the rollers may be of any approved construction the tem- A and B located opposite the end of a vforeperature of which is to be suitably controlled by hearth C receiving molten glass from a suitappropriate adjustable means for example elecable tank D. The batch melted in the tank may tric resistance elements V. Eventually, after -an be of any one of the several batches known tov nealing,-the sheet is broken at the scored points.

product cellular glass on cooling under less In practicing my improved DIUCGSS by the 8D- than atmospheric pressure. An example of such paratiis above described, the furnace is charged' a batch is thaL given in United States Patent with'a suitable batch such as described in the No. 1,945,052 to Long.` said Long patent, which is melted under condi- The sheet produced at the pass is carried by tions Such that the 83585 are not entirely lbelthe rollers E over an anvil F and thence by the ated under the pressure in the furnace. Glass is rollers G to an expansion chamber H. Coopthen formed into a, solid sheet. In order that its erating with the anvil is a suitable knife I located expansion to a cellular body may take place unabove the glass and adapted to be depressed to der controlled conditions, it is, after its formation score the upper surface thereof. In the scorinto a sheet, rapidly hilld t0 below its SOftIliDS 40 ing movement the knife moves with the sheet point and in this condition is introduced into the Irony-the position shown in full lines to the posichamber. Here it is submitted to controlled heat tion" shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. to raise its temperature to a desired extent above lNozzles J are arranged to direct air on the thesoftening point and to a controlled substupper and lower surfaces of the sheet between mospheric pressure.- These two factors, together 4,5 the anvil and the exhaust chamber H, and to with the time during which the Sheet iS Submitthus suddenly cool the sheet to a-temperature ted to the, temperature and vacuum, i. e., the

l A' below its softening point. speed of movement of the sheet, determine 111e exhaust, chamber H has controllable heatwhether the sheet is more or less cellular. Under ing means such as for example electrical resistthe conditions prevailing in the furnace, the yance elements K for heating the sheet and has sheet expands due t0 the liberati@ 0f gases Withsubatmospheric pressure maintained therein by in it. the lateral eXDaDSiOn being limited by the the exhaust duct L connected to a smtabie vacside walls 0f the apron. After such expansion uum line L1. The ends of the chamber H are the sheet is sized as to thickness by the rollers N. slotted as at h to permit the passage of the Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Lettersl Patent, is:

1. The hereinbefore described method, which comprises melting a glass containing a substance which at subatmospheric pressure gives oi vapors when heated, forming a continuous dense sheet from the molten glass, passing the sheet continuously through a zone of controlled heat and subatmospheric pressure to cause the sheet to assume a cellular state and annealing the sheet.

2. The hereinbei'ore described method, which comprises melting a glass containing a substance which at subatmospheric pressure gives oi vapors when heated, forming a continuous dense sheet from the molten glass, scoring the sheet, passing the sheet continuously through a. zone of controlled heat and subatmospheric pressure to cause the sheet to assume a cellular state and annealing the sheet.

3. 'I'he hereinbefore described method, which comprises melting a. glass containing a substance which at subatmospheric pressure gives off vapors when heated, forming a continuous dense sheet from the molten glass, scoring the sheet, passing the sheet continuously through a zone of controlled heat and subatmospheric pressure to cause the sheet to assume a cellular state, separating the sheet at the scores, and annealing the sheet.

4. The hereinbefore described method, which comprises melting a glass containing a, substance which at subatmospheric pressure gives oil? vapors when heated, forming a continuous dense sheet from the molten glass, passing the sheet continuously through a zone of controlled heat and subatmospheric pressure to cause the sheet to assume a cellular' state, subjecting the eX- panded sheet to pressure Ito size the same, and annealing the sheet.

5. The hereinbeiore described method, which comprises melting a glass containing a substance which at subatmospheric pressure gives off vapors when heated, forming a continuous dense sheet from the molten glass, rapidly cooling the sheet to a temperature below its softening point, continuously passing the sheet through a zone of heat and subatmospheric pressure to cause the sheet to assume a cellular condition, and annealing the sheet.

ROBERT J. A. INGOUF. 

